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Fate/Grand Order: Illusions of the Lostbelt — Shimabara
Chapter 1: Demon Archer "So, what do we do now?" Hercule asked. "Rest first," Ritsuka ordered. "I am the highest ranking Chaldean Master here so I am taking charge." "I second that notion," Sayuri added. "As the second most senior Master here, I issue an order to all Servants presents. While we Masters rest to regain our energy, all Servants are to scout this city to search for clues as to why we Rayshifted here instead of directly in Nagasaki Prefecture. Saber, Foreigner, you have your orders." "Yes, Master!" Guren and Mahiru replied together. "Understood," Saito echoed. The remaining five Masters exited the vehicle and introduced themselves. Sayuri wasn't really listening. She was cursing her luck to have been interrupted. She couldn't handle it. They were forced to stop after Ritsuka was halfway in. Of course, her body couldn't help but crave for more. Her mind was running. Ritsuka... I want you... I want you so much... Asuramaru spoke in her mind. You lust for him, don't you? Who said that you could enter my mind, demon? The white landscape was back again. Asuramaru was relaxing on the ground, holding a black sword. Hey, hey, I'm just saying. We demons? We get power from human desires. And, oh my, oh my, you have ''so much desire flowing out of you! You just want to lose yourself in pleasure with him, don't you?'' Not while ''you're here, demon,'' Sayuri rebuked. Begone. Waving her hand, chains appeared and fastened itself around him. I shall call on you when I deem necessary. For now, you are not. You have no permission to be invading my mind. Asuramaru gave in. Okay, okay, fine. He began to fade. When you do call on me, promise me that you will feed all of your desire to me. That way, you can be so powerful~ Asuramaru disappeared completely. ---- 2130 Once everyone was settled in, Sayuri and Ritsuka retired to another house. Strangely enough, where they had landed there was no sign of people. Ritsuka speculated that it was "an abandoned district". had predicted, considering the state of the area, that it was just recently abandoned. asked, "Master, will you be sleeping with Lady Sayuri tonight?" "Yes," Ritsuka nodded. "She doesn't want to be separated from me and I will respect that wish." Sayuri had something else on her mind though. She wanted them to continue where they had left off. Tamamo bowed, "Anastasia and I shall take our leave. Good night, Master." The minute his Servant left, Ritsuka turned on Sayuri and pushed her against the futon set on the floor. "Sa-Sayuri... I can't resist anymore..." "It's okay," she whispered. "Me too." That night was a merry one. Two hearts joined as one. That night, Ritsuka took Sayuri in his arms and made love with her. It was pure bliss. ---- January 6, 1638 1020 "Master! Master!" A voice tore through Ritsuka's dreams. "Master, wake up!" Tamamo's voice was urgent. "Wha... What is it, Caster?" "It's already past ten!" she scolded. "How long do you and Lady Sayuri plan to sleep for?" "Oh..." he mumbled. The sunlight streaming up snapped him awake. "Shoot! Sayuri, wake up!" "Wha... What is it, Ri-chan?" she said. "We got two hours before noon," Ritsuka replied. "You wanted to activate your barrier, right?" "Oh..." Sayuri muttered. "Oh, okay..." "Get ready, Sayuri," Ritsuka insisted. "I'll be waiting outside." He got dressed in his gear. In less than three minutes, he was ready. He went to the street outside where Anastasia, Tamamo and were waiting. "Hey, Master, Master!" Tamamo squealed. "How was it inside of Lady Sayuri?" Anastasia added, "I want to know, too!" "I am very interested in this topic, Master," Xuanzang stated. "Would you mind explaining?" "Uh..." Knowing that he couldn't escape, he spent the next fifteen minutes educating them on what he was doing with Sayuri the night before. ---- Sayuri was eavesdropping when he was ten minutes in. The second Ritsuka attempted to describe the unimaginable feeling of being inside her, Sayuri's embarrassment boiled over. "Hey, Ritsuka! Stop!" "Sa-Sayuri?!" he stammered. "You're already ready?" "What, did you expect me to lag behind?" she scolded. "I'm supposed to be activating a barrier, right now!" "Oh, oh yeah," Ritsuka stuttered. "I forgot. I'm sorry. Anastasia, Xuanzang, Tamamo, go and wake the other Masters." Anastasia stated, "Master, they're awake already." "Ah, okay." He turned to Sayuri. "Come on, Sayuri. That barrier won't activate itself." Sayuri swept her hair aside and coughed. "W-well, hurry up then, Ritsuka. We need to return to that roof." Sayuri turned around and focused some mana into her feet before making a leap up to the roofs. She waved, "Come on, Ritsuka! I'll leave you behind!" "Haha, not happening, Sayuri!" Ritsuka followed suit, vaulting onto the roofs, racing behind Sayuri as she ran two blocks north. Their location upon initially Rayshifting and where Sayuri will act as the beacon and anchor for her barrier. "Alright, I'm ready," she announced. "Be ready for battle. If I detect a Servant in the vicinity, automatically assume that it is hostile." Sayuri's entire body glowed as green lines began to snake its way all the way around her body. Out of nowhere, a green wall of light erupted in the directions of north and west. "The barrier is in the shape of a right triangle. I am the vertex. Currently, I do not detect any Servants yet." She began to turn in place. When she turned 180 degrees, she perked up. "Ritsuka, unknown Servant detected! She's carrying guns... I assume it to be an Archer-class Servant. Saber, stay back. For-" "No need to say it, Master," Guren stated. "We're way ahead of you." "Finally, I can test the sharpness of Asuramaru," Mahiru squealed. "This Archer will be made into mincemeat!" Sayuri, being unable to move as to maintain the barrier, stayed behind while Ritsuka went to investigate this unknown Servant. He had taken Anastasia and Tamamo with him and had Xuanzang stay behind to guard Sayuri. He shouted, "Archer! Are you an ally or an enemy?" The Archer-class Servant replied, "Well, this is a problem." She summoned guns and began to fire at Ritsuka. Anastasia blocked the bullets with a wall of ice while Guren and Mahiru attacked. The enemy Servant was fast, blocking their demon swords with her guns. "Guh... That's quite a nice blade you have there..." "Well, thanks!" Guren exclaimed. He pushed off the gun and made a clean slice at her. "Ugh... I'm clearly at a disadvantage here..." "Archer, tell me your true purpose," Ritsuka ordered. "Why, I am just a Servant summoned by the residual power of the Holy Grail seeping into the leylines!" she laughed. "I'm afraid I do not have a Master." "Yet you are not in danger of disappearing," Ritsuka observed. "You are correct, Master," she replied. "I am sustained by the Holy Grail. I am a free Servant. As I understand, the situation down in Shimabara is dire." Ritsuka thought for a moment. "Well, shall we team up? We are also wanting to investigate Shimabara." "Ah, would I need to make a contract with you, Master?" "If it is what you desire, Archer," he shrugged. "Fujimaru-dono, are you sure about this?" Guren asked. "Yes, I'm sure, Foreigner," he replied. "I'm certain we will need as many Servants as we need to assault Shimabara." Archer bowed, "It is nice to meet you, Master. I am , an Archer-class Servant, at your service." Chapter 2: Rebirth of the Warring States After successfully contracting with Archer, Ritsuka returned to the base. With Archer at his side, Ritsuka waved to Sayuri. Confused, she asked, "Foreigner, what's going on? Why isn't anyone attacking?" Guren replied, "Well, Master. Archer here has made a contract with Fujimaru-dono." Archer confirms this. "Indeed I have. Master, are these enemies?" Ritsuka shook his head. "She isn't. Meet my colleague, Sayuri Yamada." In silence, Archer waved to her in reply. Ritsuka did not notice until he cleared his throat. "Well, Lady Sayuri, can we please get back on topic?" Sayuri did a double take. "Ah, yes. Sorry for the interruption, Ruler." In apology, she bowed her head courteously. "It is not a worry, Lady Sayuri," he said. "Well, have you thought well of my proposition?" She scratched her chin before saying, "I have since Ritsuka accepted a new Servant. It won't be fair. I'd be glad to be your Master." "Excellence," he bowed. "It is an honor to serve under you, Master." He then looked around to the assembly. "Now, I will give everyone here one day to prepare," he announced. "Tomorrow, we are heading south towards Shimabara." "Does that mean we get to sleep in tonight?" Sayuri's eyes lit up as she looked at Ritsuka with her grin. Ritsuka blushed as since it was obvious what she wanted. "Well, everyone, you are dismissed. You can either train or sleep early. Pick one. Tomorrow, we shall track down the source of the Singularity." "Ritsuka, time for my private training," Sayuri teased. "Fine, fine," he muttered. "To our room, we go." ---- Ritsuka awoke quite early the next morning. Slowly extricating himself from the futon (which was very hard to do so since he and Sayuri fell asleep while in heat), he got out and got himself dressed. Ten minutes later, he went back to the futon and gently tapped Sayuri's shoulder. "Wake up, darling. It's morning." Sayuri grumbled, "Aww, it's morning already? Let me sleep!" "Sorry, sorry, don't blame me. It's Ruler's deadline." "Yeah, yeah," she groaned. Ritsuka excused himself before he could see Sayuri in her birthday suit emerging from the sheets. Sayuri herself got up and took a shower before getting dressed once more. Outside, Ritsuka went to find Ruler and began to ask him some questions. "What is our destination?" "Yes, Fujimaru-dono, we shall go south to Shikoku Island. Tokushima is the target. I have had revelations of a sort of black Servant rampaging over there." "I see," Ritsuka thought. "Well, considering our group, are we going to walk or...?" "No problem, I can always hail some of the locals to bring us south. Considering the scale of this, it will be impossible to hide the Holy Grail War occurring here." "Understood." Ritsuka went off to tell all the other Masters to get ready to leave. Once everyone was ready, Ruler conversed with the commonfolk and convinced them to accompany them south towards Shikoku Island. ---- Osaka Bay, Japan January 8, 1638 1030 Ruler stood on the beach proudly. He turned around and addressed his Master. "Master, we are here. Just across this bay is Tokushima, our target." "I see," she nodded. "We better cross now. I don't want to face those rebel soldiers anymore. I'm getting tired of holding back on the usage of my Mystic Eye..." Ritsuka patted her shoulder. "There, there, Sayuri." He then turned to the Saber-class Servant he encountered yesterday. "Saber, are you feeling alright?" She replied, "Yes, of course! is in top shape!" However, her body failed her as she began to cough, bringing up blood. Ritsuka sighed. "This really isn't good..." he muttered. Ruler started to say something but was silenced by something or someone landing extremely hard on the sands just ten meters to their left. Chapter 3: Encounter! Corrupted Saber "Not so fast." The voice came from the location of impact. The dust cleared to reveal a voluptuous woman (rivaling that of Mahiru) with sickly piercing green eyes and pink hair wielding two katanas. "I am . I will not let you lot get past me." Ruler's hand went to his sword, Gōyū Nagamitsu. "Tch. I was hoping to not encounter a Servant until we reached Tokushima but as luck would have it..." There was another Servant, who remained invisible. Ruler knew she was there. Okita cleared her throat as she walked forward, her haori flapping in the wind. Drawing her sword, she beseeched Saber, "Let them pass." Ruler sensed the invisible Servant's discomfort. However, Saber remained steadfast. "No, I shall not allow you to pass me!" Okita began to shed tears, clearly out of pain, but she toughed it out and pretended it to be tears directed to her Masters. "Please. They have done nothing to incur your wrath. Let them go." Saber rebuked her. "Never! I am Miyamoto Musashi! I shall not back down!" "Guh," Ruler muttered. "Master, permission to attack before it's too late!" Sayuri nodded and Ruler drew his sword. "Miyamoto Musashi... Is that your True Name?" Saber ignored him and yelled, "I shall fight you all to the death!" She charged forwards, her two swords in hand. Her sword style, Niten-Ichryū, was not a laughing matter. However, before she got close to Ruler or Okita, Guren and Mahiru caught both her blades with their demonic swords. "Calm down, Saber," Guren said. Unheeding of his words, Saber forced them both off of her and continued her assault. "Fine then," he stated. "Have it your way. Possess me, Noya. Give me power." Saber momentarily halted her assault as Guren's body exploded in a black aura. Well, it only seemed that way. The aura only covered his right arm. His special Mana Burst is now active. He made a powerful downward slash to which Saber intercepted with both her swords. However, a black cleft emerged from the sword and traversed three hundred meters behind Saber, splitting the ground with dark energy. "Hoh, that's quite a powerful sword you have there. To think you can block my Mana Burst." Guren sensed behind him; Okita had drawn her sword and charged to attack. Guren leaped out of the way as Okita unleashed several attacks, to which seemed to occur all at the same time. Blood began to leak out of her mouth as she thought desperately, Damn it, not now! On the other hand, Saber seemed to have no problem dealing with Okita's continuous attacks. Her Empyrean Eye is troubling to deal with. Okita stumbled back and was replaced with Guren and Mahiru. She stumbled to her knees as her hand covered her mouth, trying not to make it obvious how much she was struggling. With much difficulty, she rose to her feet and drawled, "Foreigner, are you ready for round two?" "I think you're the one who should take a break here," Guren said. Mahiru smiled. "It looks like you're having trouble, Guren. Don't mind if I do join in the fun. Come, Asuramaru." The same menacing dark aura exploded from Mahiru's body. She smiled again. "To battle a monster, you need a monster. Now. I am Mahiru Hīragi, a demon as well as a vampire. Onward. Saber, don't feel too bad if you lose quickly." She charged Saber and for the next minute, the speed at which they exchanged blows was too fast to be seen with the human eye. Even the Servants were having trouble keeping up. Guren and Ruler were the only exceptions since Guren knew Mahiru from life and Ruler being in the class that he is in. Still, even with their speed, Saber found the time to talk. "Hmph. Give up." Still smiling, Mahiru insisted, "It takes a monster to fight a monster. Isn't that right, Saber? And please, I'm a monster in of itself." Guren stepped back and advised Okita, "I'd stay back if I were you. You do not want to get caught in Mahiru's crossfire." Dejected and weakened, Okita nodded as she slinks back. However, she wasn't giving up. Her stance changed. Meanwhile, Saber was eagerly enjoying crossing swords with Mahiru. Okita leaped forward. "One silent step. Two steps, infinite." At that, Okita coughed out quite an amount of blood. Nevertheless, she pressed onwards. "Third step, one sword absolute!" Mahiru senses her coming. "Aha~, this is an interesting Noble Phantasm. I better leap out of the way~." Okita proceeds with her thrust and passes straight through Saber, who seemed unharmed. Saber truly hasn't received any damage, however, she is visibly beginning to tire. " " Okita says as she then sheathes her sword. At the final clinking sound of the blade fully being sheathed, Suddenly, three slashes strike Saber simultaneously. While Musashi does indeed block the first strike, the other two went past her defenses and struck her hard, making her spew blood. "Heh.", she muttered as blood is now running down the sides of her mouth. "Still... got... it." Okita proceeds to pass out from excessive blood loss. Chapter 4: Unexpected Guest 1500 Ritsuka's communicator blazes and he hears Caster's voice, "This is Michaelangelo, speaking! I need you to head to Shikoku Island. We're picking up signs of heroic spirits there." Ritsuka put his hand over his ear. "Ah, Caster! Where have you been?!" He excused himself and walked twenty meters away to speak with Caster in secret. Okita roused from slumber at the Caster's words. "The way to Shikoku will not be easy," she said, barely being heard. Everyone turned their heads to see Okita barely standing, her head down, as she started breathing heavily. She slowly rose her head after a few deep breaths, still exhausted from her fight. Blood still dripped from her mouth as she spoke the next words. "The way to it is blocked by a vicious storm, enough so that none of the Shinsengumi could pass through it." After her words, she looked away, almost as if she knew something else, but wasn't sure if she should mention it. For the first time in a while, Saito spoke, "Oi Okita..." He shook her a bit. "What happened?" At Saito's shaking, Okita looked at him with slight tears in her eyes. She resumed again, although this time, her voice wavered at times. "W-we woke up to the sound of screaming. None of ours, thankfully. As we ran to the mansion, we saw it was covered in this..... th-this...... sludge, would be the best term for it. We made sure to not step in any of it, especially after one of the other Shinsengumi with me decided to throw a rusty sword she picked up." Okita looks at Saito, fear in her eyes. "It. Melted. The. Blade." . . . "Some type of acidic substance...?" Saito speculated. "How interesting. However, I can't help but wonder what happened at that Mansion..." Okita looks at Saito with absolute fear in her eyes. "Wh-when we got to the m-mansion, it was an utter bloodbath. Corpses burst open from the inside, Some ripped in half, some of them......" She whispers the next part. "Their guts ripped open and used as a makeshift no-noose." She looks away. "They were the lucky ones." . . . . . . Saito sighed. "How troublesome. Also, please don't be scared, Okita. I know you are better than this." A short distance away, Sayuri conversed with Ruler. "Um, since we are setting up camp should we set up a camp?" "As you wish, Master," Ruler nodded. He went back into town to fetch the supplies. Okita looks away, fear still in her eyes. "It looked far worse than I could ever describe, and I hoped I would never go back there ever. But that wasn't the worst part." "Hmm?" Okita becomes noticeably quieter; she is still slightly shaking from fear. Saito sighs as he feels like he is going to regret this. He inches closer to Okita and places his hands on her shoulders. Staring her right in the eyes, he ordered, "Alright calm down, Inhale and exhale. Once you are calm, tell me what in the world happened." While doing this, he thought, I hope I don't anger her by doing this... Sayuri was off to the side, waiting patiently for Ruler to come back with the supplies needed to set up camp. Guren and Mahiru were busy in the surf, exchanging blows with their demon swords. Ever since the clash with Saber, they couldn't relax and so began to spar with each other. Okita does what Saito told her to do. After a few moments, she hugs him and says in a slightly calmer tone. "Thank you, Saito. I appreciate the gesture." She then stops hugging him and looks away, as she continues her tale. "We eventually got into the master bedroom of the Mansion, where the boss Convict was sleeping. There, we saw him. He was skewered on a weird scythe thing, and the wielder of it appeared to be a woman of all things. She hadn't seen us until one of us stepped on a piece of glass." *She looks at the night sky. "I'll never forget those hateful red eyes she had when she saw us." Okita then shakes her head as she resumes her tale once more. "To our shock, she then gave us a smile and left in a purple mist." Okita looks at her Shinsengumi ally. "Whoever that is, she wasn't human in the slightest. More a demon, than anything else." Sayuri was listening in on this conversation although she was busier watching Guren and Mahiru's swordplay. It was obvious on Saito's face as since the pink color from when he blushed had not yet disappeared. He stammered, "H-hmm, maybe a Servant...?" He shakes his head and thinks about it. "How interesting but yet very troublesome." He then added hastily, "Also, no problem, Okita." "...Maybe she was," she said. "Hey, Saito?" Perking up, he asked, "Yes?" Unfortunately, what could have been a sentimental moment was interrupted, as all Servants froze. Chills ran down all of their spines. Startled, Saito and Okita look around. Guren and Mahiru also stopped their spar and observed. They rushed back to Sayuri's side and asked, "Master, are you uninjured?" She remains silent but nods in reply. A new voice would interrupt them. "Hello!" It was extremely dissonant as if it was coming from far away yet the source of the sound seemed to be very near. Guren and Mahiru's hands instinctively went to their sheathed sword hilts. Saito tries to locate the sound of the voice to which Okita follows suit, although her hand was already resting on the hilt of her sword. The cheery voice came again, this time a tad scared, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The source of the voice comes from the surf. A man stands in the water and he had a wicked grin on his face. Saito puts on a smile and asks, "Well, hello there! How has your day been, good sir?" Guren palmed his forehead and sighed. "Hajime, stop with the weird go-lucky attitude." "Huh?" Saito asked. He was interrupted by the man as he answered Saito's question. "Great, actually. Well, 'great' to you people anyways." It was now obvious. All Servants could sense the malicious aura around this person. "And, whatever do you mean by that?" Saito asked again. Okita interrupts, "You have three seconds to tell us who you are along with why we should let you live." Mahiru smirked, "Aha~, Okita, what a claim!" "Eh?" Okita looks at Mahiru. Saito's forehead beads with sweat. He muttered, "Women are aggressive..." However, the other party, completely unfazed, replies, "Well, little lady, that is a bad idea." With the way he spoke, he sent another chill down everyone's spines. Saito chuckles as he focuses his eyes on the strange man. "Do you happen to know a lady that likes to mess around with mansions?" Completely ignoring Saito's question, the man declared, "Don't threaten me. Let's see... you can call me... hmmm... Foreigner." "What?", Okita said, clearly shocked. "Another Foreigner, huh?" Guren muttered. "I see." Equally confused, Saito echoed, "What?" "Foreigner of Owari," the man added. "Owari?" Saito asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Oooh, you're just like me..." the man muttered, eyeing both Guren and Mahiru curiously. "Owari? Wait, are you-?! Nobunaga's Brother!?" Okita exclaimed. "Nobukatsu? Naaaaah. That boy was fun to terrify though~." "Foreigner of the End," Guren mused. "I see. Reminds of the story to which I originate from." "Ho?" Saito raised an eyebrow. Being the only other Master present, Sayuri looked confused as she hid partially behind Guren and Mahiru. Okita looks at Guren. "Foreigner of the End?" The man added cheerfully, "By the way, I've cut off all communications with Chaldea for this. A little bit of... let's call it magic, shall we?" Saito scratched his chin. "How interesting..." "As for you, Ms. Japanese Saber... call me Aku-shin-Kage." Saito's eyes widened. "Aku-shin-kage..." "So just to get this clear: are you friend or foe?" Sayuri asked curiously. He dodged the question and instead answered, "I'm just a being here who's interested in making things interesting." Saito echoes, "Sounds interesting." Sayuri ignores Saito's comment and she pressed further. "I don't trust that answer in the slightest." Saito comments again, "I believe he is of a Neutral party." Sayuri ignores him again and added, "That statement of yours could imply you want to weaken the stronger team so there will be a bigger fight at the end. We would be a prime target considering that we've won the majority of the fights we've had. Either that or simply you wish to make the road ahead of us more difficult. There are other options but I'm unsure of what you are planning." Chapter 5: The Unreasonable Deal The other party ignores Sayuri's claim and drawled, "Well, who here wants a quick and easy way to reach Shikoku Island?" Ruler had returned from commissioning the other Masters and Servants to build the camp. He marches up and asks, "And what makes you think we can trust you, Foreigner?" He added, "I can get you there. I'll even throw in some advice, free of charge, but!" Upon hearing Ruler's comment, he also added, "Oh, trust me, you'll want to trust me." He has an aura of overwhelming charisma around him. Saito chuckled, "But what?" Ruler presses on. "Yes, exactly. But what?" "But... there's a catch." Saito droned, "Hmm?" "Of course there is," Okita said. "Of course, I know of another way to get there, but....." She looks at Saito before continuing. Saito looks back at her, slightly confused. "Hmm?" "...We'll have to got to go through Yomi to get there.", she said, clearing dreading the idea. "Doesn't sound pleasant..." Saito muttered. Ruler gasped, "Okita! What? What are you planning to do to us by dragging us into the underworld?" "No, not to the actual Underworld!" Okita groans, palming her forehead. She then tells him what she told Saito. Completely ignorant of Okita's comment, the man continued to drone, "The catch is... You there. With the swords. Why don't you give them to me? The way you'll be all getting there, you won't be needing them, anyways. Hell, it won't even be for that long. All you'll be parting with them for is... ohhh... 12 hours? Saito dreaded the timeframe. "12 hours..." he chuckled. Ruler turns to Foreigner and asks, "And what is with your insane proposition? Why should Okita relinquish her life to you?" Ruler's attempts to decipher this Servant's True Name was slowed down. He registered the name as Nikolai... Tesla? Ruler knew something was blocking his True Name Discernment but he remained silent about it. Foreigner continued, "Because, it's either that or your lives. What, do you think me to be foolish? With my method, you'll slip right by all the security, I mean. I also won't be guiding you into the underworld, no, no. I mean, it's your choice. You can go my way, which will work absolutely. Or... you can do it your own way, and probably get yourselves killed. Your choice." Okita looks at Guren. "There's always a catch when one says it will absolutely work." Guren sighs, "How's this. You take our swords. They're Noble Phantasms in their own right. Just... be careful. The demons inside will try and corrupt you. I won't allow you to take Okita's swords while I'm here." "Ehehehe... oh, trust me, my dear girl, I wouldn't dream of it," Foreigner laughed. "Although... you all have to give up your swords. All of you. Well, those of you that have swords, come on now! Chop chop!" "There is also a catch to our swords, fellow Foreigner," Mahiru said. "Sooner or later, they'll return to us. It's how it works." "Ehehehehe... well... Sure they will," Foreigner laughed again, not believing their claim in the slightest. He then interjected, "I'll say this now: one of you is a Ruler, no? I can see the confusion on your face when you tried to dissect me. You think I'm... let's see... Nikolai Tesla? Oda Nobunaga?" Saito muttered, "Hmm." "Now, I have two swords. Will the others please relinquish theirs?" He then interjected, "Why do you think am I demanding this of you? Because a deal like this, see, you're putting your life in my hands. You're trusting me." Saito agrees with a slight, "Mhm." "So, I'm taking it to the next level. You samurai treat your swords like it's your life. So give me your swords. Think of it as proof that you can trust me. After all, what's a deal without trust that we'll follow through?" Saito sighs while Guren shrugs. "Fine. We concede. But trust me, our swords will eventually return to us on their own." Guren and Mahiru took both Asuramaru and Noya and gave it to the man. However, Okita stood steadfastly. She asked, "How do we know that your words are true? We have done no previous business with you. Therefore, we have no need to trust your words." Saito grabs his sword and hands it to the man. "Okita, try to have some faith," he said with a false laugh. Ruler said, "I shall trust you with this, Foreigner. I trust you with the protection of my Master on this voyage." Ruler handed him Gōyū Nagamitsu. "Ehehehehe.... thank you," Foreigner chuckled. "Well, Okita? Will you give me your sword like all the others? It's funny, really. Out of all of them... I'd figure you'd be the first one to give me yours. I can see what you've been putting yourself through. You can try to hide it, but the pain always shows. You couldn't win if you tried to break through. Not in your current state." Okita just glares. "You never answered my question, Foreigner. How can we trust you, when all you have done so far with us is barge into this place, and demand our blades?" Foreigner pondered this. "Well... hmm... You actually raise a good point, but then. You don't know anyone when you're born. You will have to trust that someone will take care of you, no? Throughout life, you have to place your faith in people, even without proof. What made you trust your friends? What made you take that first step towards trusting them? Sometimes, you have to take that risk to progress. So on that note, will you trust me, Okita Souji? As a Shinshengumi, you should understand what kind of value trust has for someone like yourself." He laughs as he adds, "Time's ticking. I don't have all day. Okita Souji... will you trust me like your comrades have?" Saito looks pleadingly at Okita. "Just do it, Okita... Please?" Okita falters slightly. "While yes, trust starts out with small, insignificant things. Bonds can be formed with this trust, and without it, it can easily just shatter." She regains her composure. "Yes, we have to take risks. And yes, my duty as a Shinshengumi has drilled into my brain that trust is important. She stares straight at his eye with hers, this time with a ferocity rivaling that of the sun itself. "However, To ask of my blade is one of the most damnable things one could ever ask. To do that is to forget my honor as a Shinshengumi, which is something I cannot do." She looks at Saito. "I am truly disappointed in you. We are supposed to protect people." She looks back at Foreigner. "Suppose I do give you my blade. Now suppose we run into a family that needs our help. But wait, my blade is gone and my tuberculosis kicks in. Now, I'm dead weight and an easy target for someone." Okita concludes, "So sorry, but I will not give you my blade." Saito's forehead beads with sweat again as he laughs slightly, "Women are truly stubborn." "Okay," Foreigner finally concedes. "Hmmm... you look light enough for it anyways... you could share it with someone, yes..." After a pregnant pause, the swordswoman then said "...However, you are right about one thing, however." Saito stammers, "Hmm?" "I am afraid. Afraid that I will never return back to my hometown and play games with the children there. Afraid that when one of my own friends doesn't return." Her hand tightens. "However, if I just took the easy way out each time, I'd never be here as a Captain. So, it's not because I'm not afraid. It's because I want to face my current fears head-on." "Alright, well then, you can help me dig," he announced. "You'll be going to Shikoku Island... in coffins." Guren and Mahiru's hands instinctively went to their swords when they realized that they have given them away. "What is the meaning of this, Foreigner?!" Saito also attempted to draw his nonexistent sword as he growled, "What?!" Foreigner corrected his statement. "I apologize for not being clear. You're going to hide in coffins. The way to Shikoku Island is truly guarded. Therefore, this should be the safest way to reach that island." Saito relaxed. "Well, alright." Foreigner adds, "We'll let the currents wash you onto the shore." "Eh?" Okita looks shocked. Foreigner interjected, "Now, now, don't worry. The dead have all risen here, so there's no issue with graverobbing. Finding intact coffins, however... Well... that's a completely different matter. We want the wooden kind, now. The kind that floats. Once you wash up on Shikoku, you'll find your swords back in your hands. Remember: Don't damage the coffins while we transport them. If they bust, they're useless.. they'll capsize." 'Um, Excuse me." Out of nowhere, a woman clad in a shrine maiden outfit who was silent the entire time, spoke up. "I think I saw some coffins somewhere." "Oh, brilliant! Then you can take them, and my end of this done. Just some parting words of advice for you: Beware the Names of those who Serve God. His four are all present in this world... I wonder if you can beat them...? Ufufufufufufufufufu, I can't wait to find out..." Foreigner began to laugh like he was an insane person, to which Ruler could confirm. He could sense the Insanity skill emanating from this man. He walks off into the distance, vanishing in the process. His voice trailed behind him, "We'll meet again sometime!" Once he was gone, Okita turns to the woman with sheer delight. She runs to the woman and shakes her body. "You do!? Tell us!" "Um... I think I saw some at..." the woman looks around in confusion before she gives a delightful giggle. "At where the Jeweled Spear is!" Chapter 6: Onogorojima-Jinja: Part I Okita turns to her Master and asked, "Master, I want permission to go and find us the coffins." Sayuri, who was silent this entire time, finally spoke up. "Yes, go ahead, Saber. Ruler, is the camp set up?" "Yes, it is, Master," Ruler replied, bowing. "Excellent," she nodded. "I shall go and retire now. I am tired. Saber, make sure to be back by tomorrow morning. You can leave." "Yes, Master!" Okita answered, snapping to attention. It seems that Foreigner had spared Okita's swords and she ventured off to find the coffins. She dragged Saito along with her. Sayuri went to comfort Ritsuka who was angered at himself for being so helpless during the exchange. The two proceeded to retire to the master tent for the evening. Guren and Mahiru returned to sparring as if nothing was wrong. Hand-to-hand combat between them was pretty one-sided; Mahiru always had the upper hand. Literally. Ruler was by himself over on the side, using Raikiri to train. Ritsuka's three Casters were covered in sweat from building the encampment. The afternoon sky was very beautiful. It lulled a very relaxing mood on those present. The prospect of traveling to Shikoku Island in a coffin did not seem to scare anyone. They just steeled themselves by resting. ---- Here is where the heavenly spear is said to have touched down... As well as where the alleged coffins may be. The first Captain of the Shinshengumi quietly took steps as she saw the wooden scratched arch that confirmed where she was. The crispness of the air was soured with the other smell in the air. It was familiar to her, but she could not recall what it was. "Are you sure that those coffins are somewhere around here?" She asked her companion. "Yes, I believe so.", nodded the woman, who looked at the slightly singed meadow before them. Okita then thought of something. "...Come to think of it, how did you know about Onogorojima Jinja?" She asked the woman. "I... I don't know." the woman mumbled. "It's just the first place I remembered that I know had coffins." The two Shinshengumi slowly walked the stone steps, the woman slowly following them. The smell got worse as they reached the end of the steps. There, they saw the source of the smell. It was an old and beaten wooden house. The windows were fine, but the outside of the building had various scratches and parts of it were cleanly cut. Okita looked at the woman behind her, who looked distraught. "...Stay behind me." She then turns her head towards her fellow Shinsengumi. "Saito. With me." She takes slow, hesitant steps towards the house. Tap,............ tap,.......... .tap. Her footsteps seemed to echo as she eventually approached the door to the house. "...This feels familiar." said the woman, who looked confused. As the two Shinsengumi and the one woman enters, they could feel... something watching them. Yet, Okita ignored it at first. She turned to look at the woman and asked, "Familiar how?" The woman shifted her weight and placed her arms behind her back as she muttered "...It just does. Like, the air, the smell of the grass, and even the house itself somehow makes me feel.... nostalgic, I guess?" Okita then freezes. "Saito." she says "Cover her.", she then slowly opens the door. Creeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkk, went the door. Okita took some hesitant steps as she slowly walked into the house. The lights were dimmed and as she walked further inside, she felt the squelching of something on the floor. At that moment, the lights were suddenly extinguished, and Saito felt something sharp against his neck. Someone had grabbed him from behind. Guh...!" Saito groaned. "Wha...?!" "Mr. Samurai!" shouted the woman, who tried to grab the assailant, but was thrown into the side of the house, letting out a yelp. "SAITO!" Okita yells, as she then runs out the house to see the foe face to face. At a time like this...! Saito thought desperately. When I'm weaponless! The woman groaned as she slowly got back up, her once green eyes now red. "....Who?", she said simply, not knowing what's going on. Saito centered himself and in one swift move, flipped his hitchhiker over his head. Okita then takes her blade and points it at the hitchhiker's face. She then looks at the woman who recovered. "You okay?", she asked her. The woman looked a tad woozy, but she nodded. Okita smiled, but then that smile became a glare as she then said to the hitchhiker, "Talk." However, the assailant had gone. She can't see him. "Not a good idea, young lady. If you do that, I'm going to have to hurt your friend. Mr. Saito, was it?" He says. "Now you're going to answer my questions, and if you're good, I won't kill you." Izanami (Dark Caster Shinto) - Last Friday at 12:09 PM Okita looks confused, but she does sheathe her blade. "I was about to ask you the same thing, Mr.?" "I am... call me Assassin. Assassin of Shimabara. I am someone sent by god to correct this wretched world. One of my comrades has already sounded the first trumpet, the first step to ensuring this unnatural era's collapse. However, we are forced into these containers of Servants in order to exist in this world. The Assassin class container is the only one that could hold me, it would seem." "What do you mean by collapse? And who are you, Assassin?" "As in, are you in support of these unnatural phenomena that plagues the world now, or are you against it?" he asked. "I refuse to disclose my name to you all until you have answered that question... and honestly, at that." Okita took a few moments to think about that. "Miss Okita?" asked the woman, who placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine." the swordswoman said to the woman, and as she looked into the woman's red eyes, Okita suddenly felt a pang of pure fear for some reason. Okita then shakes her head and then tries looking at Assassin. "...I'm honestly not sure. As the first Captain of the Shinsengumi, I'm obliged to stop crime as I see fit, and be a model citizen. I do realize that this world has gotten to the deep end of things, but someone has to keep the peace, you know?" "...Plague...", said the woman, who had just registered Assassin's words and is slowly batting her eyes at the words, her expression changing. "....Very well, then." Assassin reveals himself, and the lights come on. "I am of the Seven Archangels. My comrades, , , , , , and are also in this world in various classes, although I do believe I am the last one of the seven the Holy Father has sent here. Gabriel and Uriel have already been captured by the ruler of this land. Michael and Raphael may very well have been too, considering they stayed behind to cover our retreat to safety at one point. As for Raguel and Phanuel... I am not even sure if they still exist in this world." He began to ponder. "Let us see... what classes were we manifested under...? Gabriel and Raphael were both Caster-class, yes... Uriel had been manifested as a Saber. Michael as a Lancer. Raguel as a Ruler and Phanuel was, I believe, an Archer." "....I-I see......" Okita said, taking all of this in. Meanwhile, the woman's expression changed slightly. "......Why?" "Assist me in finding my comrades, and we may be able to purify this era of the taint that now spreads across it. We all have God's authority under our belts. Strictly speaking, however, I am not sure my comrades are who they were. Raguel and Phanuel's existences may have been replaced by that of others if they fell. But I can say for certain Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and Michael was called here." "Why?!", the woman's expression changed again, this time sounding genuinely angry, as her green hair changed color for a split second. "What?" whispered Okita, clearly shocked at the woman's behavior, and how familiar she looked for a second. Assassin was completely unfazed and continued, "Let's see... if Raguel and Phanuel have fallen, then it's plausible Barachiel may have been sent in. Or possibly Israfil..." "Why what?" Okita questioned. Assassin took that question as a moment to speak. "We do not have much time. He is sending Archangels down to assist in the destruction of the phenomena here, but..." "If Sandalphon comes down here, then we are truly running out of time, because if even he cannot resolve it...Then Metatron will come here. When that happens... all will be purged and cleansed from the earth." The woman's outfit changed and her hair changed to purple as her she roared her next Words, silencing the angel as she grabs him. "WHY DID YOU BRING THAT MAN TO OUR SHORES!? WHY IS OUR WORLD DYING!? WHY ARE OUR CHILDREN DYING AS THAT DAMN PRIEST CONTINUES HIS UTTER HYPOCRISY!!" Tears are now forming in her eyes. "Tell me! '''Tell me'..." She is now openly weeping and cries into his chest. "''Please..." Okita is genuinely shocked and terrified at the woman's appearance "You're-!" The woman- no, the Servant looked at the swordswoman and swordsman and gave a slight smile as she released her grip on the archangel and then looks back at him. "Sorry, Samael. I shouldn't have done that to you." The Servant bows. "Please forgive me." He gives her a cold glare. "You would have done well to unhand me. If you had not released your grip for a second more, or if you had gone further than that... you would have suffered the consequences. Just this once, you are forgiven. Do not attempt that again." "Who. are. you?" questioned Okita, her hand on her blade while cutting off Assassin. The woman Servant looked at the swordswoman and gave a slight smile "......I am Dark Caster Shinto." She looked around and then said, "But you can call me Shi-Shinto-chan if you want." "Shi-Shinto... chan?" Okita mumbled, clearly not expecting this horrific woman to try and be cute. Shinto-chan nodded, as she then grasped both her hands together in delight. "Yes, that's right!" she said, overjoyed at her response. Assassin sighed and addressed Caster. "As for who you are referring too... his soul was supposed to be meant for something more. The weakness in him overcame his faith." Chapter 7: Onogorojima-Jinja: Part II He suddenly perked up. "That reminds me. I believe these belong to you...?" he says as he puts down the swords of Saito and Okita. "They had washed up on the beach, and I took them. They have tags with your names written on them." Saito, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal, nods slowly. Okita and Saito both see the paper tags with their names dangling on the hilts. "Yes, they belong to us." "I see." Satisfied, Assassin cracks another question. "Now then... what exactly brought you here? Was it the one that tried to grab me earlier?" Saito sighs, "Not exactly..." "Then why have you come by here...?" Saito whistles as he answers, "We're looking for some items that might help us." Okita was about to say what they needed but Shinto-chan beat her to the punch. "We need to find some coffins, and there might be some located somewhere on this old place." "I see... and what would you need these for, perchance?" Assassin asked. "We need them to get to Shikoku Island, to stop this madness," said Caster, who at hearing her own words, added, "Yeah, I know. Odd words coming from the chick who went nuts." "I see..." Assassin nodded. "Well, I do not know where the coffins are, but you would do well to steer clear of the hordes of undead. Japan may love to cremate a lot of its people, but there are still quite a few graves with bodies within them." "That will be no problem for one such as I," Caster said. Okita was still dumbfounded at the scene before her. She had a nagging feeling she knew this Caster from somewhere besides seeing her at the mansion. "Alright, well... allow me to accompany you, then. I need to get Shikoku island myself." And so, they walked some more, the landscape growing more barren as they walked further inland, until they came to the entrance of an old and battered graveyard. "This place... it reeks of the deceased," Okita muttered. "All the more to enter, I'd say," Caster answered, as she slowly opened the rusty iron gate. The second they entered, both Shinsengumi were overwhelmed and immediately besieged by quite a few undead. Many of which are skeletons, but quite a few have flesh still. However, they stay completely away from Caster as well as Assassin. A fact that Assassin exploits. He orders, "Go! Quickly, get the coffins! The dead will not stay dead for long!" True to his words, the undead struck down soon once again rise up. "Got it!" replied Okita, who quickly sliced the undead before her and just as quickly moved forwards near the coffins. "These poor, tormented souls," Caster muttered. "Do you hear them?" She let out some tender tears as she continued, "They're crying." She brings out a strange circular device that unfurls into a scythe weapon. "Allow me to help you on your journey to the afterlife." She points the scythe and starts swinging, killing 5 of them in one swing. Assassin agrees with Caster, lamenting, "They are awaiting the Last Judgment. I pity their souls, waiting for judgment, for salvation." Okita quickly got to the coffins, as she spat out some blood. "Now, where are-" She saw a couple of open caskets. "There!" She ran to them and grabbed one. "I've got one!" She yelled, sheathing her sword and picking it up. Okita ran again, more blood running from her mouth as she quickly placed the coffin down, far away from the undead. She made sure to check on Assassin and Caster. "We're fine," said Caster, who blasted one of the undead with her magic. "Now, go and get some more coffins! We'll help you once we're done with these guys." Assassin also takes advantage of the protection he has from the undead to take another coffin. Okita jumped again, this time jumping on the undead's heads. She used their head to 'walk' across them to get another Coffin, which after making sure the coffin was secure, she then repeated the same thing back to the place where she's been keeping the coffins. Caster looked at Assassin and muttered. "Never thought I'd work with an angel ever again." The undead surge forward, attempting to attack Okita. Okita swipes at one of them, but another one decks her, causing her to spew blood from her head. Caster sees this and throws lightning at the undead, frying them and scorching their remains. "Are you okay, Miss Souji?" she asked the swordswoman. "Y-yes.", Okita replied, shocked at the fact that the demonic Caster saved her. ---- Okita counts the coffins. "Okay, I think we've got all we needed." She starts running, a coffin in hand until she sees Caster looking at the undead in sadness. "Caster, there's nothing we can do for them." "How do you know, Samurai?", she said, giving her a hard glare before resuming her glare at the undead. She then waves her hand, purple energy forming from it. Caster had no idea if it would work. She may have lost a great deal of her power, but she still tried anyway because she heard these poor undead souls crying for release. The Demonic Caster steeled her mind and with some effort, was able to control the undead. "Huh, so it DOES still work even in this twisted era..." she said, still amazed she still has that amount of power. "Take us to our friends," She commanded, her voice unflinching. To almost everyone's surprise, the undead not only picked them up in an impromptu crowd but also made sure to pick up the coffins with delicate care. "Not what I expected, but it works!" Caster commented. Samael sighs. "How... ingenious." He says. "To be fair, I didn't know they would do this," Caster said, as she jumped off the undead's hands and took a Coffin and bowed to the undead. "Thank you, honorable warriors." To her shock, the undead that carried her disappeared into the mist, only the tattered clothes remained. Assassin glares at her. "Be glad I am not Michael, or else I would wreak punishment down on you for interfering in His designs." "...Uh, good to know?" Caster said, confused. Okita jumped off as well, and the same happened with undead with her, too. she quickly grabbed the coffin before it hit the ground, but blood spewed out of her mouth. "Give me a moment.", she said, spitting out some blood. Chapter 8: Imposter at the Shadow Border went a different way than the others. had ordered her to follow the . She stood guard outside while Michelangelo and Poirot went out for some research into the current era. No one was supposed to be on the Shadow Border but, "Archer, get in here." Raising an eyebrow, Nobunaga made her way in carefully. "Hmm?" "Hello, Oda Nobunaga!" "Umm..." she began. Should I stay or should I go? I should inform Caster about this... "Oh, you don't recognize me?" the man chuckled. "Not really..." Nobu ventured. "Well, it has been a while. Although, did we ever meet or is that what the Throne of Heroes has me down for...?" "Probably... I haven’t had the slightest memory of you since I was summoned." "Oh, that's a shame, a shame, yes..." the man mourned. "Although then again, perhaps that's a good thing." "Mhm~," Nobu shrugged. "Whatever you say." "Really, you being here makes things so interesting, and yet at the same time, so potentially boring. Although that's only if you remember my identity," the man continued. "Aku-Shin-Kage. Do you remember that name?" "I guess so... but why did you call me...?" "Because I was bored," he shrugged. "Although... I was you, once. Or rather, I am the one responsible for your power, in a sense. Think about it. How did you get a Reality Marble, even though you aren't a demon?" "I... don't remember that," she pondered, looking down and off to the right. "Why is it that you are called the demon king, yet you yourself have no demonic physical features to speak of?" he asked. "Innocent Monster isn't something you can remove, and I would think your legend would be distorted by that moniker." "I suppose it has something to do with my demonic nature in life, the fact that I killed any who opposed me without mercy," she suggested. "Oh my, oh my. You haven't really...?" "And that I had become the emperor over all of Japan which is the equivalent of a Japanese king," she added. "Do I need to spell it out for you, oh demon king?" "I suppose it couldn’t hurt..." she said. "Who put the idea to take down the Takeda Calvary in your head?" he declared. "Who put the idea to burn the Shinto shrines in you? Who is the demon that you could call? It was I!" "Wh-what?" she said, grimacing. "It was me... !" he announced dramatically, "You wanted power. You wanted it all. . . . Nobu was silent. "Well? Say something! Be scared, be amazed! Be something already! Geez, even Nokubatsu was more lively than you!" Nobu quickly draws her gun and fires a powerful, single shot at the man's head. His head explodes. "I’m annoyed by your presence," Nobu muttered. However, a second later, the man's destroyed head regrows. "Tch," Nobu muttered. "Ufufufufufufu! There we go, that's the Nobu I know!" Annoyed, Nobu looks away and crosses her arms. "Now then... I'm going to give you a little traumatic experience so that you'll forget all of this," he said. "Prepare to see my true form!" "Hmm?" Nobu turns her head just enough to see the man out of the corner of her eye. "I am the Crawling Chaos! Behold my Thousand Masks!" He transforms, and Nobu passes out, seeing something truly horrid. ---- Upon coming to, Michaelangelo is kneeling over her clearly worried for her health. "Nobunaga! Nobunaga! Are you okay?! I came as soon as I heard you scream!" he said. Unfortunately, that man's plan had worked. Nobu could not recall anything after she walked into the command center. "Nghhh..." she groaned, brushin away some free hairs from her eyes and looks up at Michelangelo,. She still feels a killer headache which was a side effect of the traumatic experience her mind had to deal with. "What happened?!" Michelangelo exclaims. "I... I was called to the room..." she said. "Then I opened the door and everything goes blank after that. "I see... how worrying. But the scanners didn't show any kind of... huh," Michelangelo muttered. "This is troubling. Can you walk? Ohhhh, I wish we had an actual medical officer..." "I should be fine," Nobu insisted, attempting to stand on her own. She successfully does so but her knees wobble under her weight as she regains some sense of self. Once Nobu is gone from the room with Michaelangelo, Foreigner once again appears. "Well. Hopefully, this leads to something interesting in the future... now then, what should I do next...?" He mutters before again vanishing. Chapter 9: Clover's New Servant Meanwhile, in Kyoto Early on the morning of January 9, 1638 One of the Chaldean Masters, Clover Kazake was ordered by Ritsuka to accompany Michelangelo on his endeavors. So far, he hasn't been able to help much. He was sitting outside, his feet in the waters of the Pacific when, "Oh, perfect, perfect! Yes, yes, you will do nicely." "Hm..?" Clover would look up and stare at Michelangelo. "Young man, could you please assist me in this task?" "... Sure?" "Since the others are currently out observing the singularity, I've been shorthanded on staff." "..." "Plus, our communications are on the fritz, and I can't reach the other Masters..." he lamented. "Wait. Are you a Master?" "Yep," he said. As proof, he showed his right hand, inscribed with the unmistakable red of the Command Spell. "Then you'll be perfect for this," Michelangelo said with glee. Clover only silently nodded. "Follow me." Michelangelo walked back to the command center while Clover dried off his feet, put on his shoes and lurked behind Michelangelo's footsteps. ---- Clover follows Michelangelo to his workshop, where he saw all manner of tools, materials, and the like scattered around everywhere in a mess. "Hmm..." he muttered. Michelangelo began rummaging around his workstation for something... "Wait right here while I go find the key for it... now where did I put it..?" he mutters. "Anyways, you're going to be helping out by becoming the master of our very own Shielder-class Servant! I think someone like you can handle it." Clover could only reply. "Alright..." "You'll be working with them to go on a mission for us. Okay?" "Yeah, sure. I don't mind." Michelangelo added, "Okay, although, fair warning." Clover raised an eyebrow. "This will be rather dangerous since we're sending you out into enemy territory." "... Got it," Clover replied. "Alright, then, here it is!" Michelangelo pulls out a key and triumphantly waves it around. Clover could only mutter,"Hm..." as he was again led away by Michelangelo to a new location. ---- Finally, Clover and Michelangelo arrive in what appears to be a chamber of summons. "Wow..." he gasps, truly amazed. "This is our backup summoning chamber," Michelangelo says, stating the obvious. Clover rolled his eyes. "Good to know..." "Now hold on while I fetch our backup Servant database..." He hits a few numbers and grumbles under his breath. Something about Poirot, it seems. Clover spots several golden sparks from his hands for a few moments as he works the controls. Observing some more, he concluded, "Cool." "Yes, and... ah-ha!" A blinding light flashes throughout the room. The next instant, a Servant emerges. "Hm..." Clover complained. He was not prepared to be blinded. In replacement of the light, a young, well-endowed woman, appeared. Clover's confusion would soon become palpable if he did not get an explanation soon. In a strong voice, the woman said cheerfully, "Hello! I'm , a Shielder-class Servant." Clover declared, "I'm gonna be honest here. Shee looks more like a Saber..." The Servant ignores her Master's statement and continues, "I will protect Rome, wherever it may be." Seeing as his comment went deaf, Clover replies, "Well... nice to meet you..." "Right. I'd wish we could get more acquainted in more casual circumstances, but if I've been summoned, I know what that means." She says, turning to Michelangelo. "Indeed. We are in need of your help." He says. Clover remains silent and Shielder turns to her Master. "I see. Alright, Master. Shall we go?" Clover nods. "Yes." He is unsure what sort of mission he will be sent on but he had promised himself. He will return alive and work up the courage to confess to Sayuri. He must do so. He turns to Michelangelo and adds, "Now, what sort of mission is this, Caster?" Chapter 10: Light and Darkness: Saber v. Saber Alter! The evening of January 8 Osaka Bay Tents were set up and the Masters had gotten their beauty sleep. However, Ritsuka and Sayuri found no time for this. Ritsuka was busy giving Sayuri some private training. Sayuri had went outside to enjoy the cool twilight breeze to recover from the brutal training she had undergone. Her legs shivered, with both cold and excitement. Her tranquility was shattered when a voice yelled, "Master! We have returned with the means of travel!" Chapter 11: Onwards to Kyūshū Chapter 12: Battle of Ariake Bay Part I Chapter 13: Battle of Ariake Bay Part II Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Epilogue